How do I register? Register online using the five-digit unique number of each class you want to take.

What if I'm returning to UT after an absence? If you have been away for at least one fall or spring semester, contact the Office of Admissions to apply for readmission. Once you've been readmitted, register like normal.

What's a bar? It's a code placed on your record that prevents registration. Bars are listed on your registration information sheet; for details about a bar on your record, ask the administrative office that put it there.

How do I clear a bar?

• To clear a financial bar, pay by cash or check in Main Bldg room 4, or with credit online at What I Owe.
• To clear a nonfinancial bar, contact the office that put it on your record. See the university's office directory for administrative office numbers.
• To clear an advising bar, get advised in your major department or dean’s office.

What is an Registration Information Sheet? It's your information listing your registration times, advising info, and any bars you might have. (Before registering, make sure you check your Registration Information Sheet to see that your bars are cleared and that you know when to register.)

When do I register? You can register only during the assigned access times on your Registration Information Sheet. During the current semester, continuing students usually register early for the next semester. New students register during orientation, or just before the semester starts.

Can I change my registration time if I've claimed credit or transfer hours? If the hours earn you a new classification, call us at 512 475-7656 to update your access time. Your claim must post to your record before any updates can be made; since it takes a while for credit to appear after it's claimed, if you've just done so you might miss out on an update.

Can I change my registration time if it's my last semester and the time is bad? No. We can't change your registration time unless your classification changes.

How is my registration time chosen? Times are based on your classification and the first letter of your last name. Time slots within classifications rotate every semester.

How do I decide which classes to register for? Speak to your academic adviser for information about the needs of your degree.

Are there ways to register other than online? No.

When my screen says 'Registration isn't available at this time,' what does it mean? It means this isn't your access time. See your registration information sheet for your access periods.

What are optional fees? These are fees you choose to pay when you register. For a description of available optional fees, see the General Information catalog.

What can I do if I forget to add an optional fee -- like the sports package? Go back online during one of your access periods, and press View or Change Optional Fees. This gets you to the fees page; add it there. (To add a fee after you've paid tuition, contact the fee's department.)

The class I want is full. What now? Join its waitlist (if you're eligible to) and let the system wait for a seat to open. If the class has no list, try to add it during add-drop. Seat counts are set by the offering department.

What do I do if I can't add a class I think I'm able to add? Contact the department offering the class for more information. (Check the university's office directory for offices and phone numbers.)

When I've finished choosing classes, how do I ensure my choices? There's no Submit button for your registration -- but each time you add, drop, or change a class, your record is updated.

What can I do if I miss my registration time? Check your registration information sheet or the online course schedule for the next registration times. (If the semester starts and you're not registered, you pay a late fee.)

How much will a class cost? Check costs by using tuition and fee estimates published by Student Accounts Receivable. Ask questions about costs at the cashier’s office at 512 475-7777.

When do I have to pay? Payment deadlines depend on when you register, and change each semester. Information about deadlines appears in the course schedule. (Keep your email address updated so you get all notices from Student Accounts Receivable.)

How can I drop a class? The simple process for dropping a class varies depending on when you are trying to do it.

You may drop any or all of your courses through online registration if:

• You have registered
• It is your access time
• You have not yet made payment

You may drop all but your last class through online registration if:

• You have registered
• It is your access time
• You have already paid

You must contact your dean’s office to drop classes if:

• Your last access time has already passed (after the 12th class day in spring and fall and the 4th class day in the summer)
• You are trying to drop your last class and you have already paid

I have registered for a future semester, but I have decided not to attend. What do I do? If you have not made payment arrangements yet, you can access online registration and drop your classes during your access time. If you do not meet the payment deadline for your classes, they will be dropped. If you have already made payment arrangements, you will need to contact your dean’s office for the necessary paperwork.

When do classes begin? Important dates, including the first day of classes, can be found in the online academic calendar.

Questions about waitlists.

What's a waitlist? A waitlist -- turned on by a department when all the seats in a class have been filled -- is a way to wait for an open seat in a closed class. If a student in the class drops it, a seat opens up and is filled by a student on the list.

What can I do with waitlists? You can join up to two lists per course, and can be on four at any one time. On your personal See My Waitlists page, you can see your place on each list you're on, read system notices and errors, drop a list, and choose a swap class to drop from your schedule if added to a waitlisted class.

Why were waitlists created? Since Registration fills open seats with whomever happens to register at that moment, it can sidestep students from earlier access periods who may have wanted in. A waitlist gives those students the chance to be first in line when a seat opens up.

If I waitlist a class, am I guaranteed a seat? No. Joining a waitlist doesn't ensure you'll be added to the class; it's just a way for you to wait in line for an open seat. If a seat never opens up, you never leave the list. It's up to you to decide if you've waited enough, or if you need to drop the list and find another class.

How do I join a waitlist? If you try to add a closed class, our registration system lets you join its waitlist if you meet its requirements.

When are waitlists available? If they've been turned on by a department, lists are active from the start of registration through the fourth class day. After that, you'll need approval to add.

How do I get the waitlist option? You have to be registered for at least one class before you'll get the option. This is how many students work: registering and paying for one class in period 1, then adding others during add-drop in period 2.

Why am I not always offered a waitlist for a class? Some things prevent the system from letting you onto a list.

• The class doesn't have a list. (Check the Course Schedule to see if a class has one.)
• You don't meet course restrictions or prerequisites. (The registration system will let you know this.)
• The waitlist is full.
• You must have at least one class on your schedule to join a list.
• You can't join more than four lists.
• You can't join the waitlists for more than two sections of the same course.

How do I get notified about my waitlist classes? Waitlist notices appear in two places; check them both regularly.

• Notices from a section's department are sent to your current email address on file with the University. Keep this address current, and check it often.
• Notices from the Waitlisting system itself are posted to your See My Waitlists page in UT Direct. Check it often, too. We send notices when classes are cancelled, when you've been blocked from the class for various reasons -- or if you get added to the class.

If I'm not sure I want a class, should I join its waitlist? Maybe not. By signing up for a waitlist, you've told us you want to add the class. If a seat opens up and you qualify for it, we put you in the class and charge you for it. So if you're not sure, don't join a list.

Questions about prereqs and restrictions

What does it mean if a class is 'open but restricted'? It means there are open seats in the class, but its department has restricted them to specific groups of students. You can register for the class if you meet its restrictions.

I'm adding a course and have met its prerequisites, but am told 'the add was unsuccessful because the class is restricted.' What? Since prereqs and restrictions are different things, you can sometimes meet a course's prereqs but not its restrictions. (And sometimes, the other way around, too.)

What's the difference between a prereq and a restriction? Prerequisites set the level of ability needed to take a course, and can include coursework, a minimum GPA, test scores, and an instructor's consent. You can register for a class even if you don't meet its prerequisites -- but its department decides if you can stay in it.

Restrictions let departments limit enrollment to certain types of students, such as those in a particular major.